Sunday, October 7, 2012

Celebrating great news!

Wow. What a weekend.

THESIS UPDATE
First of all...drum roll please...I submitted my thesis today!!!!

I will meet with my thesis committee on October 26 for their final feedback. My advisor tells me he thinks I'm in good shape. He's a demanding teacher, so that makes me feel pretty good.

After six years of night classes, the final product is 12 chapters, 146 pages long...what an amazing process it has been to write this book!

(In case you haven't been following my thesis updates over the years, I'm working on a degree of Master of Fine Arts [MFA] through Portland State University. My thesis is a memoir. It's set in the late 1980s, a period when I became very involved as a Boy Scout leader, and learned a lot about myself in the process.)

A WONDERFUL TIME TO BE A YOUNG WOMEN'S PRESIDENT
I serve as the Young Women's President in my ward. (A ward is a Mormon congregation.) I get to work with the 12-18 -year-old girls on Sundays and Wednesday nights.

This weekend was the Mormon Church's General (worldwide) Conference, and some very exciting announcements were made for the Young Women.

First of all, the missionary age for women was changed from age 21 to age 19. (The missionary age for men was also changed from 19 to 18.) This is a wonderful development. Mormon women are not expected to go on missions they way the men are, but when they do go, the "sister missionaries" are famous for being excellent missionaries. Not only that, but serving a mission is a powerful, life-changing experience for Mormon women. I think many more young women will serve now that they can do so just a year after graduating from high school, instead of having to wait until they are 21. I am thrilled for the change in emphasis this will bring to the work I do with the 12-18-year-old young women.

And speaking of a change in emphasis...the incredibly antiquated somewhat dated Young Women lesson manuals have just been replaced! I have been anxious for new teaching materials ever since I started working with the Young Women a year ago. The new lessons are up-to-date and focused on Christ, and they will have the girls helping to teach and testify to each other. I can't wait!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BFF
My dear friend Dorothy is in Korea visiting her son Andrew and his family. It's probably already past her birthday 1/2-way around the world right now, but I'm humming "happy birthday" to her anyway. We have had so many adventures together over the last 30+ years, including raising our children together, going on girls-only backpacking trips, many many good outings with our sweet husbands along, and supporting each other through joy and heartbreak. Happy Birthday to you, dear friend! I am thankful for you.

7 comments:

Lisa Lou said...

Hooray!!! So excited to be done! Will it be available to read on-line? I'd love to read it.

Katie Lewis said...

Way to go! That is so big!

Bridget said...

Such good news, all around! Congratulations on the thesis.

Dorothy said...

Congratulations!!! Getting that thesis turned in is a very happy occasion, and I'm thrilled for you! Thanks for the sweet birthday thoughts. I had a lovely birthday hiking in the South Korean mountains with my family. It will be bitter sweet coming home again this week.

Unknown said...

I am so glad that you are getting stuff done. And I am so excited for the new curriculum. I shared the link to this post on several LDS sites, as an example of a progressive YW president, who is excited about the new curriculum and the opportunities for the YW.

Letia said...

I'm so excited for you! I am very excited for the changes to the missionary ages and new lesson manual changes! These changes will solidify their testimonies and prepare them well for the challenges they may face. So good! So inspired!

Letia said...

I'm so excited for you! I am very excited for the changes to the missionary ages and new lesson manual changes! These changes will solidify their testimonies and prepare them well for the challenges they may face. So good! So inspired!